


Coffee and Sketches

by vcdbtch2



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Artist Merlin, Barista Arthur, Clooney and Sergio (Criminal minds Refrences), Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Merthur - Freeform, mentions of eating disorders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26696680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vcdbtch2/pseuds/vcdbtch2
Summary: Merlin is a famous Artist in the UK and one day he needs somewhere quiet to work, which is where he stumbles into a Cafe with a Certain Blonde as his Barista.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	Coffee and Sketches

As the rain continued to pour harder onto the streets of London, Merlin gripped his sketchbook close to his chest as he weaved in and out of the frenzy of people trying to escape the rain. He looked up and scanned around his surroundings for somewhere warm and dry to sketch until the rain dries up and he can get back to his apartment. Unfortunately, most of the stores around him were closed this late in the afternoon and the very few stores that were open were packed with people and he knew he would never be able to concentrate.

He sighed and walked on, clutching his sketchbook close to his chest as he headed towards his apartment building. The walk to his apartment building never seemed to far when it was sunny outside and Merlin could enjoy the heat on his back and the birds singing but now that it was hammering with rain, it seemed like he was never going to get there.

As he turned the corner onto the next street, he sighed a breath of relief when the paths were clear so he had access to the shelters that ran across the streets. He kept his head down and his sketchbook close to his chest as he walked down the street, mostly because he would rather not be recognised when he looks like a drown rat.

Merlin's plan was to walk straight home, take a warm shower and start his latest project by the fire in his flat. That was until his eyes locked onto some delicious looking chocolate chip muffins in a store window and his mouth watered at the sight. He looked into the window to see a variety of muffins and scones in glass trays and his brain screamed at him to go inside. He debated it for a minute and he eventually decided to go inside, after all it was still raining and the cafe looked like a quiet place to sketch in peace.

He pushed the door open and was instantly hit by a flow of warm air and the smell of freshly ground coffee beans and freshly baked muffins. He smiled at the familiar feeling of coffee shops and walked up to the counter, lingering for a few moments before he cleared his throat to catch the attention of the barista.

A dark skinned women turned around and Merlin was immediately met with a warm smile. "Hello, what can i get for you?"

Merlin smiled back and drifted his gaze to the mouth watering muffins in the display case near the cash register. "Can i please get a chocolate chip muffin and a medium Chai tea?"

The women nodded and walked over to the machine, making polite small talk as she made his tea. Merlin kept the smile on his face and tried to engage in as much small talk as he could handle when all he really wanted to do was sit by the window and sketch until the rain eased up.

When she finished making his tea, she grabbed a muffin out of the display case and put it in a paper bag before putting them both on the counter and counting the price.

"That will be $7.50"

Merlin smiled and grabbed the cash out of his back pocket, handing her the money with a thank you before walking over to a booth near the back of the store and sitting down next to the window. He took a sip of his tea as he set his notebook on the table and pulled out the pencils in the side pocket of his satchel before he set to work on sketching his new art piece.

The cafe was extremely quiet, him being the only other customer at this time of the afternoon. It had a homely feel to it with refurbished wood as the tables and cushioned crates as seats. There were various plants hanging around the shop with small succulents on every table along with large plants in every corner of the cafe. Soft classical music played in the background, making his heart swell with an odd feeling of happiness that he usually wouldn't get in such a place.

Merlin was almost finished with the base of the sketching when he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up accompanied with a feeling of being watched, something he had grown to recognise after he became a somewhat famous artist in the entirety of England. He tried to ignore the feeling and continue on with his drawing but after a few minutes he started to grow uncomfortable with such an intense stare and he glanced up.

He glanced over to the counter and met the gaze of a very attractive looking barista who was looking at him like a deer in headlights. He was confused for a moment before he realised the guy probably recognised him and he inwardly groaned. As much as he loved meeting the people who loved his work and taking photos with them, he was not in the mood for spending hours talking about his newest art piece. He offered the man a small smile before he looked back down to his sketches.

Not even a minute later, Merlin felt a presence next to him and he looked up to see the same man standing next to him and he could practically feel the anxiety coming off him.

"Can i help you?" Merlin asked. He couldn't help but grin at the irony, usually it was the waiters asking their customers that question not the other way around.

The man's eyes widened and he opened his mouth only to close it again like he wasn't expecting Merlin to talk to him. He cleared his throat and straightened his posture before he spoke.

"h-hi, i just came to see if you needed anything? A refill perhaps?"

Merlin smiled at the lame excuse for a conversation starter but shook his head. "No, thank you"

The man nodded but made no move to leave, instead he stayed and shifted awkwardly on his feet as he tried to find something to say. Merlin sighed and lent back in his chair as he looked at the nervous expression on his face and he found himself asking the man to keep him company until he finished work, which surprised both of them.

"Are you sure, i mean i wouldn't want to interrupt you?" He said as his eyes darted between the opposite side of the table and Merlin.

Merlin shook his head and gestured for the man to sit across from him before he lent forward again and started sketching while trying to find something to talk about. He hadn't expected to talk to anyone in the cafe so he had nothing planned.

"so, what's your name?" Merlin asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

Arthur seemed startled by Merlin's voice but covered it by pointing to the name-tag on his shirt. "Arthur, my name is Arthur"

"Arthur" Merlin smiled. "How ironic"

"I'm sorry?" Arthur furrowed his eyebrows.

"Come on, you can't tell me you've never heard of the Aurthurian legend" Merlin gasped when Arthur shrugged sheepishly.

"Does it have pictures?" Arthur joked which made Merlin laugh. This guy was funny, he will give him that.

"No" Merlin started and shoved his notebook to the side. "The Aurthurian legend is centred around King Arthur. It tells the story of a snobby Prince with no compassion, his bumbling idiot servant Merlin and the knights of the round table. Until Arthur meets Merlin, he is a snobbish prat who likes to make fun of people below his stance and follows strictly by his fathers rules, then Merlin comes along and changes him for the better. Merlin quickly becomes his closest friend and teaches him that people who aren't royalty are people too and deserve to be treated as equals. His servant was extremely loyal to his Prince and suck by his side during battles with magical beasts, bandits or sorcerer attacks. It was common knowledge that Magic was banned in Camelot and the punishable by death but that didn't scare Merlin as much as it should have, in fact it made him bolder. His destiny in Camelot was to protect the Prince so he could become the Once and Future King of Camelot and bring magic back to the land of Avalon. Unfortunately, a short time after he finally became King he was attacked and died in his servants loving arms after finally learning of his magic. The great dragon prophesied that Arthur would come back when Avalon needed him most, and until then Merlin had to go on without him as an immortal"

Arthur listened to Merlin's story with eager eyes, his chin rested on his palms as he watched his lips move almost in slow motion. Since he saw one of Merlin's art pieces at a local Museum and looked up the artist, Arthur found Merlin very attractive and could even go as far as saying he would go out with him if asked. Until now, Arthur had never heard what Merlin's voice sounded like, nor had he been in such close proximity, and being close enough to see the gold flecks in his eyes and the light dusting of freckles on the bridge of his nose made his heart do flips.

"Wow" Arthur said after Merlin finished. "How did Arthur take the news of Merlin's magic?"

"Understandably, he didn't take it very well at first but eventually excepted it. It was too bad he died soon after"

"Did Merlin and Arthur fall in love? They seem closer than most friends"

"It wasn't written in the legend but there were always theories that they were in love and secretly courting for the majority of the time, of course it's just a matter of opinion"

Arthur smiled in amazement at the man before him. He never expected to meet the famous Merlin Emry's in his life but he always imagined it and now that he had finally met him, it was completely different from what he pictured. For a start, Arthur expected Merlin to be another snob celebrity who is only in it for the fame but he was not like that, he was compassionate and struck up a conversation with a simple barista in a random coffee shop.

Merlin looked down at his watch and inwardly cursed when he realised the time. He stood up and scrambled to pack his stuff, mumbling an apology and saying he promised to call his best friend after he started his new sketch.

"wait" Arthur called out when Merlin headed for the door. He gulped as he turned around and looked at him with a mixed expression of confusion and amusement. "will i see you again?"

Merlin bit his lip adorably and glanced around the cafe before taking a step backwards and smiling. "yeah, i think you will" He said before he walked out of the shop and out of sight.

### ***

For the next few weeks, Merlin would come into the Coffee shop to work on his art pieces and Arthur would sit across from him when he was clocked out, intently watching the way Merlin bit his lip in concentration or how his nimble fingers looked holding the pencil.

He didn't come everyday, only on the days where his apartment was too stuffy and he needed somewhere warm and quiet to work. He had become a regular customer, had a regular order and was familiar with all of the waiters and barista's. Arthur was the one he was most familiar with, the one he actually looked forward to seeing and Merlin could go as far to say they were becoming good friends.

"what are you working on?" Arthur asked as he leaned forward to look at what Merlin was drawing on his notepad.

Merlin bit his lip and glanced up at the Blonde through his eyelashes, unsure if he should talk about the subject or not. He eventually decided he trusted Arthur enough so looked down and continued drawing.

"it's a piece on Eating Disorders. More specifically, Anorexia" Merlin said. "i'm using myself as inspiration"

He heard Arthur's breath hitch in his throat and he could feel his eyes on him but he kept drawing, he wished he had of just kept his mouth shut or averted the question somehow. Now, he owed it to Arthur to explain the drawing.

"You're anorexic?" Arthur whispered.

Merlin sighed and pushed the notepad to the side before looking back up at him. "I was when i was a teenager. Ever since 7th grade when i went into high school. The kids were cruel and liked to make fun of anyone that crossed their path and i just so happened to cross their path. Long story short, they made me feel so shit about myself i starved myself to the point i was in hospital with a feeding tube because i was too weak to lift a spoon"

Arthur's heart clenched painfully as he thought about how Merlin must have felt back then. It brought him shame to admit he was once one of those kids who would make fun of someone for the littlest things but he only did it because he was insecure himself and he needed something to distract himself from his home life. Luckily, he never physically hurt anyone and as soon as he met the right group of people he stopped being an arse and became a completely different person. When he graduated, he apologised for his behaviour at the ceremony and was pleased to know he never effected anyone enough to do permanent damage, it was more hurt feelings.

He didn't really know what to do so he opted for putting his hands on the table and lightly brushing his fingers against Merlin's, assuring him he was perfect in every aspect which made the other smile brighter than he had ever seen anyone smile.

"Thank you, Arthur. It mean's a lot" Merlin squeezed his hands before he picked up his pencil and began drawing again.

Arthur smiled and leaned back in his chair, pleased he had managed to make someone happy for once. The two lapsed back into comfortable silence after that, Merlin quietly sketching and Arthur watching with a fond smile on his face as they listened to the soft sounds of classical music. He would never admit it but he loved the way Merlin bit his lip out of concentration and he loved how he would some times hum gentle melodies without realising then flush a deep shade of red when he realised what he was doing.

Merlin was unlike any other famous person he'd ever met. The very few famous people Arthur had met in his life were extremely rude and seemed like they would rather be anywhere than they were in that situation. Merlin was different though, he was on the quieter side and even seemed a little insecure. His cheeks would flush a deep red whenever he caught Arthur staring at him and he would constantly gush over the cute puppies that would come inside the cafe. Arthur may or may not have even managed to sneak a few photos of Merlin holding an adorably small puppy and if he looked at them before he went to sleep, well that was his own business.

"So Arthur, Tell me something about you." Merlin said.

Arthur blinked at him a few times, unable to process the fact that Merlin had just asked him about his own life when he could be in a million dollar mansion sipping cockatiels with pretty girls at his feet. Though, he was pretty sure Merlin swung the other way if the rainbow bracelet on his wrist informed him correctly.

"uh. Well i grew up here in London with my Sister and Father, my Mother died in a car accident when i was 6. I did a few nursing courses in uni but it never worked out so i guess i decided to something more low key like a barista. I have a Golden Retriever named Clooney and a cat named Sergio who absolutely despise each other"

Merlin chuckled and looked up from his drawing. "Firstly, I'm sorry about your mother, My father died when i was 16 so i know what it feels like to loose a parent. Second, i actually did some nursing courses as well but i discovered i really liked to draw and build so i changed courses. Thirdly, i need to see your animals as soon as possible otherwise i wont be able to sleep"

Arthur's eyes widened as he realised this was his moment, the perfect time to give Merlin his number and hope that it eventually leads to a date. "Uh well, did you want me to give you my number? or you can give me yours if that's okay, i understand if-"

"Arthur" Merlin stopped his rambling and put his hand on Arthur's arm, a gesture that made his stomach flip but he didn't notice. "It's okay, stop rambling. You can have my number as long as you don't call me in ungodly hours of the morning while i'm trying to get my beauty sleep"

Arthur sighed a breath of relief and watches as Merlin ripped off a clean page of his sketchbook and wrote his phone number on it and handed it to him before packing up his stuff and standing up.

Merlin smiled at Gwen as he walked to the door but turned around before he reached the door. "i'll see you sometime soon, text me"

Arthur watched Merlin walk down the street with a small smile on his lips and sighed before he turned to see Gwen staring back at him with a knowing expression. He cocked his head to the side and watched as she simply shook her head and giggled before she walked to the back room.

### ***

That night after practically working himself into a panic attack, Arthur decided to text Merlin and ask him if he wanted to possibly get some coffee or something together. He knew it was a lame and cheesy excuse but truth be told, he missed Merlin so much after only a few hours and he felt like he would go crazy if he didn't get to talk to him again soon. He didn't allow himself to think about what that meant, he already knew he had some sort of feelings towards him and he had convinced himself they weren't mutual but he decided he didn't care. He was going to ask him and if he said yes then they could go on from there and if he said no, well then he would loose a regular customer and a friend. Arthur sat down on his bed with the paper in one hand and his phone in the other and typed in the numbers, triple checking they're correct before he types his message.Eventually, he decides to just ask Merlin how his day was and he would go from there. Almost 10 minutes passed, 10 minutes of nervous pacing and regret before his phone buzzed.

 **Merlin** : _Hey, it was okay. After i left the cafe i went home and worked on my drawings for a few more hours then i called some of my friends and talked about catching up but i doubt it will happen, they're too busy with their own lives._

 **Arthur:** _You and i could always hang out together, you know if you wanted to. If not that's totally fine, i understand you're busy and don't have time for friends._

**Merlin:** _Arthur! Stop stressing, i'd love to hang out with you outside of the coffee shop. I still want to see your animals and i'd love to meet some of your friends if that would be okay_

**Arthur:** _Okay great. Would you like to go out to dinner sometime? I can bring you back to mine and you can meet Clooney and Sergio_

 **Merlin:** _Like a date?_

 **Arthur:** _Or not? It's totally fine if i misread the situation and made a complete fool out of myself_

 **Merlin** : _Arthur, i would love to go on a date with you. I may or may not have been completely in love with you since i first saw you but i kinda thought you were straight so i didn't say anything._

 **Arthur:** _Oh thank god! I've been in love with you since the first day too. How does Friday sound? There's this great little Italian place down the street._

 **Merlin:** _That would be great! Text me the details tomorrow or something if you don't mind. I have a migraine so i'm going to go to sleep or something, i really should stop drawing every second of every day._

 **Arthur:** _I'll pick you up around 6 on Friday. Are you okay? do you need me to bring you anything?_

 **Merlin:** _No, it's okay. Thank you though. I'll text you tomorrow, goodnight x_

 **Arthur:** _Will do. Feel better soon, i'll bring you something tomorrow if you're still sick. Goodnight x_

 **Merlin** _Thanks again, Night x_

***

Friday night rolled around quicker than expected and now, Arthur was pacing back and forth in his room trying to find something to wear. He had originally planned to wear a white button down with blue jeans and maybe even a leather jacket but after trying it on it didn't seem like enough and he changed his mind. His entire bedroom floor was covered in clothes and shoes, his phone was buried somewhere under the pile and Arthur knew if his phone buzzed it would take forever to find it. He had already showered prior to picking an outfit but he knew he was going to have to show again if he didn't want Merlin to throw up with the smell.

After another hour, about a dozen different outfit changes and one mental breakdown, Arthur finally decided to just wear his original outfit and he took another shower. Now that he smelled better than he did before, he put his outfit on, sprayed an ungodly amount of cologne and styled his hair. He dug around in the pile of clothes and eventually found his phone where he looked at the time. There was still an hour until Arthur had to pick Merlin up so he decided to clean up the mess he made which would take up enough time.

As he predicted, cleaning his room took almost an hour and by the time he finished, he had 20 minutes to pick Merlin up. Merlin only lived 10 minutes away but he figured he could spend some time with him before the date, plus he was getting slightly anxious sitting around doing nothing. He got in his car and drove the 10 minute drive to Merlin's house, bouncing his free leg up and down and alternating between listening to music and sitting in silence.

Arthur arrived at Merlin's house with 15 minutes to spare so he took the time to sit in his car and compose himself, telling himself everything would be okay and after they would go back to his apartment and again, everything would be fine. He took a deep breath and wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans before he got out of the car and headed towards the building,

His heart humped harder and harder in his chest with every step it took and by the time he got to Merlin's apartment door, his heartbeat was the only thing he could hear and he thought it would break through his ribs. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before knocking on the door and listening to small shuffling sounds inside, followed by a small thud and string of curses. Arthur smiled to himself and listened until the footsteps got closer and the door opened,

As soon as the door opened, all of Arthur's previous worries floated away as he looked at the man in front of him. Merlin was dressed in skinny black jeans which seemed to fit in all the right places and a blue buttoned down t-shirt which seemed a size too big. His hair was the same, un-kept and unruly but it looked more styled and wasn't hanging over his forehead anymore. To put it in one word, Merlin looked breathtaking.

"hello" Arthur managed to get out.

Merlin smiled at him and moved to the side, gesturing for Arthur to come inside. The second he stepped inside the apartment he was greeted with a strong smell of lavender, old books and coffee. His apartment wasn't at all what he expected, but that wasn't a bad thing. The apartment itself wasn't special, average for the part of London they lived in but what intrigued Arthur was the amount of books and art work. There was an entire wall in the back of the living room with bookshelves lined up and artwork hanging in every free space. Books lay freely on the floor near the fire place, on the arm of the couch, the kitchen table and the counter. He could tell Merlin was a neat person, his apartment just so happened to be messy the day he had company.

"Sorry it's a mess, i'm usually organised but i've been kind of busy lately" Merlin apologised and quickly set about picking up the books and placing them neatly on their shelves while Arthur lingered in the doorway, unsure if he was allowed to step any further.

"Come, sit" Merlin said and ushered Arthur to the couch, pushing him down and plonking himself next to him.

"I'm sorry i'm early, i had nothing to do at home and i was bored" Arthur said.

"You mean you were pacing around your apartment for the past two hours trying to find something to wear and you were getting anxious sitting around doing nothing" Merlin corrected, laughing at Arthur's confused expression. 

Merlin stood up from the couch and made his way to the kitchen counter, grabbing a few notepads and handing them to Arthur. "these are some of the works i didn't finish because i ended up hating them. What do you think?"

Arthur looked through the notepads, taking the time to look over each detail of each drawing. Merlin was an incredible drawer, all of his pictures look extremely realistic and it was clear he took his time and appreciated each one. Most of the drawings were of random things like flowers, celebrities or animals but a few were of things like peoples bodies, things that represented mental illnesses or his life. 

"They're really good. Do they mean anything?" Arthur asked as he continued to flick through the pages.

Merlin shrugged, through Arthur didn't see as he was too wrapped up in the drawings. "The animals are based off pets i've had in the past. The flowers are based on my friends favourite flowers and the bodies represent different body types. I did a piece on self harm and eating disorders when i was a teen so you'll probably find some more sketches on those subjects but they'res happier ones in there somewhere"

They kept talking about Merlin's previous art pieces and drawings until it was time to go to dinner. Arthur was still nervous but having Merlin there with him made it better. Merlin stood up and gestured for Arthur to go through the door first before locking it behind him. They walked in silence to the car, occasionally bumping shoulders or brushing fingers as they did so and Arthur had to clench his hands to his sides to stop himself from reaching out and holding Merlin's hand.

When they got to the restaurant and were showed to their table, the two lapsed into conversation again while they waited for their waiter. In the lighting of the dim candle in the middle of the table, Merlin's eyes seemed to glow gold and his features were more prominent. As Merlin talked, Arthur's gaze unconsciously drifted down to his lips and watched as they moved at a rapid rate, his tongue occasionally darting out to wet his lips which made Arthur's heart do flips.

After almost 20 minutes of small talk, the waiter finally came to take their orders. They decided on ordering a family sized pepperoni pizza and sharing it between the two with wine as their drinks. The waiter took their order and said it would be another 10 minutes until their food would be brought to them.

"So" Merlin pursed his lips as he tried to think of something to say.

"uh, you were saying you might be catching up with your friends? Did you end up making plans?" Arthur asked.

Merlin shook his head and leaned forward. "Nah, they're too busy fucking each other"  
  
"Wait, how many friends do you have?" Arthur asked.

"Well, there's Gwen and her boyfriend Lancelot. Gwaine and his boyfriend Percy and Freya who i've known since primary school"  
  
"well, now you can add me to the list" Arthur smiled as he took a sip of his wine, watching as Merlin flushed under his gaze. "Plus, i'll introduce you to my friends if you'd like"  
  
"yeah, that would be great. I have never had a lot of friends, i was kind of weird growing up and everyone hated me. I mean i had Freya and the others but they were the only constant friends i have had in a long time"  
  
Arthur nodded, though he couldn't really say he understood. Growing up, he was on the school's soccer team and therefor he was friends with basically the entire school. Though the only people he actually spent time with were his friends Leon and Elyan, plus his sister and her friends which seemed kind of pathetic. 

The waiter eventually brought them their food and they lapsed into comfortable silence as they ate, occasionally remarking on how goof the food was or talking about the couple a few tables away from them who looked too much alike for them to be in a relationship but the kiss they shared said otherwise. Once they finished eating and paid for their meal, Arthur suggested they head back to his apartment so Merlin could see his pets which made him practically squeal in excitement.

As they made their way out of the restaurant, Merlin's hand somehow became intertwined with his and he was shocked at how right it felt. They kept their hands locked tightly together until they got tot he car and had to separate for a brief moment before they were joined again. The drive to Arthur's flat was filled with conversations about their past's, about dinner and even a little about the future. Arthur learnt Merlin wanted to go to Australia one day and he made a mental note to take him there one day if everything worked out the way he wanted it to.  
  
When they got to Arthur's apartment, he opened the door and gestured for Merlin to walk in first. Almost immediately they were greeted with the sounds of nails clicking on the hardwood floors which was followed by a large Golden Retriever bounding over the couch and skidding to a stop in front of Arthur.

"Hey Clooney" Arthur smiled fondly and ran his hand through the dogs fur until he noticed Merlin's presence. Clooney cocked his head to the side and narrowed his head as he looked at Merlin before walking over and nudging his hand with his nose, making Merlin laugh and bend down to pet him.

Arthur's legs turned to jelly at the sound of Merlin's puppy voice and he had to sit on the arm of the couch before his knees gave out. He watched as Clooney rolled into his back and nudged Merlin's hand to his stomach before waving his legs happily at the attention he was getting. 

Soon after, Arthur's cat came out of his bedroom and jumped onto the couch, nudging Arthur's hand with the side of his head and purring happily as he scratched behind his ears. Merlin stood up and made his way to the couch, sitting beside Arthur and scratching the other side of his face. Arthur watched Merlin with a fond smile on his face and suddenly, the urge to kiss him built up more and more until he was able to restrain himself.

He lent forward and softly pressed their lips together, putting his hand on the side of Merlin's neck and giving him the chance to back down if he wanted to. To his relief, Merlin's hands found their way to Arthur's shirt as he scooched closer and pressed their lips together. Arthur immediately noticed how soft his lips were and how much of a good kisser he was, then he noticed how intoxicating Merlin tasted and it drove him wild.

Somehow, Merlin ended up straddling Arthur's lap as his hands slowly ran down his chest while Arthur's hands found their way underneath his shirt and touching the soft skin there. The kiss soon turned into more when Merlin softly bit down on Arthur's bottom lip and rolled his hips, making Arthur moan with want. He carefully stood up and kept one hand on the soft skin of his waist while the other reached down to hold Merlin's ass. Merlin's legs wrapped around Arthur's waist and his arms clutched onto his shoulders as they blindly walked to the bedroom.

### ***

Precisely Three and a half years later, Arthur watched as Merlin was curled up on the couch with Sergio in his lap and Clooney at his feet. They were having yet another Doctor Who marathon and Arthur needed to use the bathroom, when he came back he couldn't help but lean on door frame and think about how lucky he had it.

If someone had asked him in high school what he saw himself doing as an adult, Arthur probably would have told them he would be working as an ER nurse in the states. He never would have dreamt he would become a Barista and meet the famous Merlin Emry's in his cafe, much less fall in love with him in that same cafe.

Years ago, he would have said some snide remark about becoming a barista instead of a nurse and dating a boy instead of a girl. But now, as he lent against the living room door and watched as Merlin lie in the fetal position on their couch with their cat leaning against his stomach and their dog at his feet with the TV lights reflecting beautifully on his face, he realised he wouldn't change it for the world.

He smiled fondly and walked back over to the couch, carefully crawling back into his spot on the couch with Merlin's back to his chest and wrapping his arms around his waist. He nuzzled his face into the back of Merlin's neck and breathed in his signature scent of Lavender that was now stuck on all of Arthur's clothes.

"Merls" Arthur said as he propped himself up onto his elbow and gently ran his fingers through Merlin's raven hair.

Merlin hummed in response and turned his head to face Arthur the best he could. Arthur said nothing, instead he smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his plump lips. When he pulled back he smiled at the confused but content look on his lovers face and wrapped his arms tighter around him, resting his head back onto the pillow and watching the movie as a family.


End file.
